Nothing But Tension
by Akari78
Summary: Shepard's throwing a party on the Citadel, and when Miranda decides to attend she can't help but wonder where she and Jack stand after their night together on the Normandy while fighting the collectors. Jack's feelings however, are as guarded as ever, and Miranda is getting frustrated to the point she starts using some rather out of the box methods to find out just what Jack wants.
1. Chapter One

**Nothing But Tension**

**Chapter One**

Miranda sat at a small table, countless datapads on Cerberus spread before her. Her hands were pressing into her temples, rubbing the tension away the best she could, a bottle of water resting just within arm's reach of the woman. "Dammit." Muttered Miranda as she got up to take a quick break, nothing useful turning up to try to use against Cerberus in the Reaper War. Certainly it was nice to be a fighter pilot with other ex-Cerberus operatives taking out Cerberus convoys and small bases, but she still had other things to take care of. Oriana was about as safe as a person could be at the moment, but of course that worry was pounding down on her mind. To make matters worse she'd gotten a lead on Cerberus trailing back to the Citadel after the failed coup, only for it to turn up excruciatingly dry.

The black haired woman crossed over to the small living room set up in the hotel room she was renting, a rather rundown establishment certainly but it was rather short notice and refugees were crowding the space structure quicker then anyone could handle. Lawson nearly had had to pull some strings to even get this place to rest her head in. Dropping onto the couch and flicking on the vidscreen hanging on the wall across from her, Miranda tried to zone out if only for a little bit before she returned to trying to pool through countless data.

Nearly everything playing was related to the war, and with a disgruntled huff Miranda flicked it off and leaned her head back on the hard couch and stared at the metal ceiling. A singular light flooded the room with a yellowish hue, Miranda slowly finding herself slipping into sleep as she stared at it. Suddenly her omni-tool lit up and chirruped as she received a message.

Truth be told, the exhausted woman didn't even want to look at it, until it kept on chiming like a furious bird on her wrist. Instantly she jolted up, recognizing that ringtone as the one she'd set for rather important contacts, and opened up the flashing icon on the holographic device.

**Party at my new place, trying to get everyone back together before it all totally goes to hell. Address and details attached, hope to see you there. -Shepard**

Miranda blinked, and then gave a disbelieving laugh. The reapers were invading and harvesting advanced organic life, and Shepard was throwing a party? Lawson shook her head, and shut the device down, closing her blue eyes and leaning back to catch a quick nap. Sure she'd met up with Shepard the other day at the Silver Coast Casino, but that was nothing compared to a full-fledged party with a bunch of people, some of which she probably didn't honestly know other then by name and reputation.

Blue eyes shot open as realization dawned on the woman, Miranda nearly jumping off the couch in one fell swoop as she frantically reopened the message, pooling over each word. The thought of 'everyone back together' had her tingling with excitement as a singular person filled her mind. Miranda did her best to contain the bubbling feelings as she opened the attached info, finding herself with a decent amount of hours to get prepared for this silly party. She dashed straight to the bathroom, quickly moving through it trying to get herself presentable.

"You're getting excited for all the wrong reasons." Miranda said to herself as she stood in the bathroom, having gotten out an assortment of makeup supplies for her to use and placing them on the metal counter. The white light in the small bathroom in the citadel hotel was doing little to bolster her confidence, if not just give her a headache. She peered at the selection before her before settling on a lipstick and began to apply it. A dark red color now upon her lips, she stepped back and gave a defeated sigh.

"Oh no, they're totally the wrong reasons." She muttered, shaking her head and wiping her face clean once again and tossing the cloth in the trashbin to the side of the toilet. "She probably won't be there." Miranda scolded herself for having gotten so excited over something so impulsive. Shepard was throwing a party, and she could probably still use some sort of relaxation and could she really pass it up? Deciding that she would attend no matter what, Miranda pulled a brush out and began to run it through her black hair.

"Even if she does show up what are you expecting?" She asked aloud, staring at her half dressed self in the mirror, remembering that night on the Normandy before jumping through the Omega Four Relay. "What am I going to say?" Her brushing stilled for a minute, and then Lawson shook herself back to her senses. "Get a grip Miranda." She muttered to herself and then continued preparing herself for the party.

Putting on about the same amount of make-up as she always did, some eye shadow and eyeliner, a bit of lip gloss, Miranda gave a pleased smile. Considering her tailoring, she didn't need to put much effort into enhancing her appearance, which she had to admit saved her a lot of prep time. Playing around with a few options for her hair, Miranda quickly settled on the way it normally was falling freely around her. It wouldn't look very good if she got fancied up and no one else did, and considering it was Selene hosting it, there was no doubt that there would be an unforgiving amount of alcohol and fun involved.

The operative pulled on her white catsuit, zipping it up swiftly before turning towards the door. She paused, and shook her head. It had been nearly a year since she had seen Jack, and the past five or so months had been swamped with evading Cerberus and Reapers to the point that Miranda had given up on seeing the woman again. But perhaps Shepard had just given her that opportunity. For once she didn't know honestly what she intended on doing, the rather unfamiliar feeling making her nervous throughout. But then again, if everything really was going to hell then what did she have to lose if Jack brushed her off and pretended that night on the Normandy didn't mean anything? Walking out with determination, Miranda was smiling on her way to Shepard's apartment.

* * *

"Miranda!" Smiled the great commander as she walked up to her arriving guest. "You're early." Selene took hold of Lawson's hand and gave it a firm shake, stepping back and tilting her head to the side. "Punctual as always?" Joked Shepard.

"You could certainly say that." Replied Miranda with a small laugh.

"Well you're actually not the first." Shepard said, motioning over her shoulder to a balcony overlooking the lower area of the apartment, a rather well furnished one in fact. "Jack beat you by a half hour."

Instantly Miranda tensed, hardly able to contain herself from simply scurrying up the stairs right to the tattooed convict. "Is she now?" Asked Lawson tightly.

Her reaction had Shepard frowning. "Woah now, I don't want any fights here. If you want you can wait downstairs with me for everyone else. She's just up there talking with Liara right now, probably doesn't even know you're here." Offered the blue eyed commander.

Shaking her head, Miranda walked further into the apartment. "No, it's nothing like that Selene." Assured the ex-Cerberus operative. "Just..." She trailed off, looking around the finely decorated loft. "How did you afford this place?" Balked Miranda suddenly. "I know you were a commander in the Alliance but surely officer pay isn't this good."

Laughing as she followed Lawson to the first of the two sofas, both of them taking a seat and reclining back, Shepard gave an elaborate shake of her head. "Hell no, this place was Anderson's." She explained.

"And he just gave it to you?" Quizzically asked Miranda, gaining a nod of Shepard's head. "And here I was thinking I had friends in high places. No one has ever just _given _me such a lovely place." She laughed, peering around appreciatively.

"Well you know, save the galaxy a few times from annihilation and people tend to give you things." Shrugged Selene.

"Think you can do it again?" Miranda asked rather seriously.

Dipping her head slightly, Selene chewed on the inside of her cheek. She ran a hand through her tightly knit curls, somehow finding a way to part them for her fingers. "Honestly?" She asked, pale blue eyes looking up at Miranda.

She nodded her head. "Of course."

"Maybe." Said Selene, hands clasped. "I think we've got a good shot but I mean... if Cerberus wasn't fucking us over so royally every time I turn I would be far more confident in our chances." Grumbled Shepard, straightening up. "Hey, we're not here to talk about the bad stuff, we're here to party right?" Smiled Shepard as she tried not to dwell on it. Miranda nodded her head, though she could have sworn she'd seen bags beneath Shepard's face like she'd been covering up on the SR2 before they'd defeated the collectors when she'd had trouble sleeping. But if Shepard wasn't sleeping that could mean a few bad things at least, though she couldn't blame Selene if she was having trouble.

Giant robots were killing everyone after all, and she was expected to save them somehow.

"Right." Said Miranda, and then she tilted her head to the side as she noticed a flashing light besides the door to the apartment. "Looks like someone else has arrived." She informed Shepard who quickly got to her feet and crossed back over to the door, a scarred turian on the other side.

As Shepard greeted Garrus, quickly followed by Tali, Miranda got to her feet and decided it would be a good idea to head upstairs and see about Jack. She gave the two aliens a warm wave of her hand as she started up the stairs, and then found herself on the balcony, several pieces of art on display there. She snorted, it certainly wasn't Shepard's place to start with. Voices came from a hallway to the side, and Miranda swallowed her nerves and followed them.

She turned to a small seating area where black sofas and a coffee table awaited. Jack occupied one seat, Liara across from her with a small smile on her face. Music started flowing through speakers set up throughout the apartment, a rhythmic beat Miranda recognized from her visits to Afterlife on Omega with Shepard and Jack. Shepard hadn't been kidding when she said she liked it it would seem, the thought making Miranda smile slightly.

"Oh, Miranda." Liara spoke up as she spotted the woman standing there. "It's nice you were able to come, I'm sure Selene is overjoyed you could make it." The asari said politely.

Taking a seat besides Jack, who scooted over wordlessly, Miranda nodded her head. "It's lovely seeing her and everyone else again." She replied. "I see you're doing well."

"As well as one can right now I suppose." Liara shrugged, looking to the side for a moment before she returned Miranda's gaze. "Well..." She trailed off slightly awkwardly, not knowing what to say to the ex-Cerberus operative. "Jack here was just telling me about how her students are doing." Suddenly said Liara, straightening up and diverting the attention of the slow-moving conversation to the woman besides Miranda.

Turning to look at her, Miranda saw the face of the woman that had filled her dreams for months for the first time since they'd split ways after defeating the collectors. She'd at last stopped shaving her head bald, though there was only one long streak of brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Her outfit had matured compared to what it used to be, a studded black jacket left unzipped and a bandage looking material working like a sports bra almost and wrapping around her from her neck down with plenty of exposed tattoos. Her prison jumpsuit at last discarded and a fresher pair of pants with gaping holes on her hips and the side of her thighs, massive boots that could probably crush any man's hand.

Lawson took in her entire new look in a single look, but could already tell that Jack had changed since they'd spent the night together. Worry began to trickle at the back of her mind that perhaps the change wasn't in a direction she wanted, because she was fairly certain with the feeling that formed in her gut of what she wanted. "You're teaching?" Miranda asked with surprise.

"Yeah, I did take a job with the Alliance." Jack admitted slowly, as if bored, not looking over at Miranda.

"And you do what exactly that has you teaching?" Miranda pressed when nothing further came from Jack.

"Grissom Academy needed a teacher for their biotic students, and you know, I'm kinda the most powerful human biotic around so fuck yeah I was doing it." Jack boasted. "My kids are doing great, making warp ammo and shit like that for our soldiers on the front." Miranda smiled lightly as she listened, so focused on the woman besides her that she didn't realize Liara had left them there not long after her diversion.

To the ex-Cerberus operative, she was almost in awe of the change in the woman before her. The change she'd seen over the course of their journey together with Shepard had been enough then for her to give in to her desires and sleep with the woman when they were headed to death's door. Now, far more responsible and mature than before, Miranda found herself feeling the same way then now. "That's great Jack, I'm sure they're doing so well in large part to you." She praised.

However, Jack scowled and at last looked at her. "Don't say that kinda shit unless you mean it Cheerleader." She snarled.

Miranda's eyes widened with shock and she scooted back from Jack to the other end of the couch. "I'm sorry I thought we-"

"Hell no." Miranda's words were cut short, Jack frowning deeper. "We fucked on the Normandy before and after the collectors, I know." She admitted, shaking her head. "It was nice then but I'm not here for you. I'm here because of Shep." The tattooed woman got to her feet. "What happened on the Normandy, stays there."

"Who says I came here for you?" Retorted Miranda, getting to her feet and effectively blocking Jack's escape. "Maybe I came here for Shepard too?" Anger surged up her body, disbelief that she had even thought for a moment that Jack had truly matured. "And I have no shame in what we did, but if you seem to have to lock it up in the past then obviously it was a mistake, just like you were."

The convict tensed as those words were spoken, her fist clenching besides her as she tried terribly hard not to lash out at Miranda. "I will tear you the fuck apart Cheerleader." She threatened, leaning menacingly towards the slightly taller woman.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "You'd never even land a single blow on me." She scoffed.

Biotics rippled up Jack's body. "Wanna find out?"

"Such a child, always have to prove yourself right?" Mocked Miranda, stepping back and shaking her head. "I think you even once said I wasn't worth it. Well it would seem that the Jack I slept with then, very much so isn't the Jack you are today."

"And you, ice queen, haven't changed one little bit." Retorted Jack, brushing past her towards the stairs and as far away from Miranda as she could get without leaving the party.

Miranda stood there, her mind racing with countless thoughts, and let out a sigh. No, she certainly wasn't going to get what she wanted that way. Frustration was making her shake, the woman wanting to blast something with biotics. Shaking her head and muttering under her breath, Miranda headed downstairs for a drink. As she stepped down to the ground floor, she was met with nearly every face from her time on the Normandy and then some, Liara and Ashley the only ones she truly recognized, and that was in part because of all the time she'd spent researching just who Shepard had been during the Lazarus project.

Some hispanic looking human with tattoos was chatting up what she could have sworn was a prothean. A lady and another man she didn't recognize talking together besides the fireplace. Groups had formed with people talking together easily, chatting and laughing as they drank. It made a small sorrow form in her chest as she realized that even among those she'd fought along side with, she probably wasn't that well liked.

Normally she didn't care, but seeing everyone else enjoying themselves, even the justicar seemed to be having a more cut-loose bit of fun, made her suddenly feel regret. The only person she'd connected with on the Normandy besides Shepard was perhaps Jack, and she'd just shut that door in her face. As Miranda took a cold beer from an open cooler filled with ice, she quickly decided she wasn't going to take it sitting down. If Jack was going to refuse to even explain why she didn't want to pick up where they had left off, then she was going to find out herself.

One way or another.

* * *

**AN: Jackanda is back! **


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

The party was moving along slowly to Miranda, her mind settled on only one of the guests there in Shepard's place. Despite having spent some time catching up with Jacob, Joker and EDI, discussing Cerberus which was sadly one of the only things they could all have an input on, she'd hardly really paid much attention. She could hear Jack just on the other side of the fireplace wall, talking with Ashley and the two human men Shepard had picked up recently. It had driven her mad when she overhead the ex-convict saying she'd needed to blow of some steam, instantly making Miranda believe she had something to do with it.

Her words of encouragement to Jacob on becoming a father were rather lack-luster compared to what they could have been, Miranda trying her best to inch over towards the fireplace to try to figure what was going on with the tattooed woman without being noticed by the others. Of course, the unshackled AI had spotted her and when she asked why it appeared Lawson was fleeing the conversation, Miranda was forced to come up with some stupid excuse about needing to go to the restroom in order to avoid arousing anyone's suspicion.

When she had walked through the main room on the bottom floor towards the nearest bathroom she was aware of, Miranda had glanced casually towards the group Jack was as speaking with. At first, she was slightly optimistic when Jack met her gaze, but when a scowl crossed her face and the biotic turned her back to the ex-Cerberus officer, it had only further fueled her frustration, steering her further along on her mission of the night. Somehow she'd have to get some information that she could use, even if it were only a few simple words.

Problem was, figuring out just how to get that information. Miranda had thought Jack was about as distant as herself with the others in their merry band of Shepard's friends, though judging from the way she was interacting with them it was making her rethink that assumption. Miranda had noted a decent number of drinks alongside Jack though. When she was in the downstairs restroom she could hear the krogan one floor up getting rowdy, giving her a bit of an idea. She was fairly certain that Grunt and Jack had gotten along well enough down on the cargo floor on the Normandy, maybe she could see if he knew anything, though she doubted it.

Making her way up the stairs she stopped at the top when she spotted the two headbutting each other in front of Zaeed and Shepard, making her roll her eyes. There certainly was no way she'd get anything on Jack with them doing that, so she'd turned around and returned to the others she'd been chatting up with. From talking about Jacob's plans on proposing to his lady, Joker and EDI getting together and a little bits of reminiscent of their journey against the collectors.

"So, what do you think of Jack?" Miranda suddenly asked them, making Joker blink at her with surprise. "I hear she's a teacher now."

"Oh yeah," laughed Joker, "and an interesting one at that I bet. Sanders doesn't let her swear around the students, I bet they could raise enough funds to purchase every biotic student the latest implants and egg-heads omni-tools from the swear jar she probably keeps." He joked, downing another drink.

"Why are you curious Miranda?" EDI asked, tilting her head slightly to the side. "From what I could recall while you both served on the Normandy you both were very keen on avoiding each other, or hostile when you were forced into the same area." She blinked, recalling something from her memory. "Save for that-"

"Well she seems to have grown up." Miranda cut her short, sucking in a tight breath of air as the AI nearly continued. Horror swept up her back as she realized that while the crew might not have bared witness to she and Jack's night together, the ship certainly had. From the mess hall to the several rounds they went in her bedroom, EDI had witnessed it all. The thought made Miranda's skin crawl with embarrassment. "Maybe I'll be able to hold a civil talk with her for once, if she's had to bite her tongue around kids."

Jacob snorted. "Those were kids Miranda, and you, you certainly aren't a kid."

"I'm well aware of that." She drawled. "I think I'm going to get something stronger to drink, see you guys around." Added Miranda as she started towards where she'd seen a bar in the apartment, waving a hand over her shoulder in goodbye to the others who called after her. As she walked around the bar in the nicely furnished study, she let her mind run with ideas on just how to get Jack to speak with her about what it was between them. There was no guarantee either of them would survive the war, and if they did that they would ever meet together again either. She didn't want to be left wondering what might have happened if she didn't know just what had changed with the powerful biotic.

_It's not like I expect a relationship. _She thought to herself, picking a glass up from under the counter and placing it on the bar. _With her that would probably be impossible. But casual sex wouldn't, it would be rather nice in fact. _Her musing were cut short as she poured a bit of whiskey in the glass and the woman that was flooding her mind was sitting on the other side of the bar.

Miranda casually looked up only to be taken by surprise at her sudden materialization. "Jack!" Miranda said quickly, nearly dropping the bottle.

"Cheerleader." She simply replied, reaching over to take the bottle of whiskey from the black haired woman. "Mind not hogging all the good stuff?" She asked, one eyebrow raised expectantly.

"Uh sure." Confusion laced her words as she handed it over, Jack taking it and simply drinking the alcohol from the half filled bottle. "Hey, I might have wanted more of that!" Miranda scowled.

Shrugging, Jack took another swig before she answered. "Get yer own bottle then."

"That _was _my bottle Jack." Miranda pointedly said. "You're impossible." She huffed, rolling her eyes and running a hand through her black hair.

"And you love it don't you?" Teased Jack, the bottled pressed against her bottom lip.

"What I'd love are some straight answers." She growled out, leaning over the bar towards Jack. "Did you finally get drunk enough to talk or is this a genuine, sober approach at being civil?"

Another shrug rolled itself off the younger woman's shoulders. "I guess you could say those kids taught me a few things too." Jack casually said before she smirked at Miranda, brown eyes locking with blue orbs. "And sure, I've had a couple to drink already." Her admittance made Miranda chuckle lightly. "I kinda saw you all here on your own, and figured why the hell not?" The tattooed woman added with the faintest hint of uncertainty.

"About what?" Questioned Miranda as she took a gulp from her glass.

"Hanging around with you." Jack admitted. "I'm not talking about the shit you wanna talk about though." She firmly said before taking a deep swig from the bottle.

Miranda however, took the chance to push it. "Why not Jack? At least give me a good enough reason for completely rejecting it and me, what we did."

"Cheerleader, do not make me regret trying to be as you put it, 'civil'." Growled Jack, straightening up with a frown.

"Jack-" Miranda started.

"Cheerleader-" Jack cut her off.

"I just want some-" She tried to continue only to get cut short once again.

"You're not-"

"-answers."

"-getting any."

They glared at each other, and then Miranda looked up to see Shepard standing in the archway with confusion. Miranda pushed off the bar and leaned against the study wall, Jack looking to the Commander silently. "Uh, I see you two have had plenty to drink." Shepard said as she walked over cautiously, attempting to take the whiskey from the both of them, only for blue and brown daggers to stop her in her tracks.

"Don't worry Shep, I won't smear her across the walls." Jack said, only sounding faintly genuine.

"There's nothing worse I could do to her than that haircut." Miranda jabbed with arms crossed.

"Hey me and my hair have been actually doing shit for the war effort," Jack threw back a faint smile across her lips, "meanwhile you got your bubbly butt kicked by some guy with a fucking sword."

Rolling her eyes, Miranda turned to Shepard. "See Commander? Best of friends."

Shepard snorted, rolling her eyes. "Can you two just kiss and get it over with? Hell, I've got plenty of beds if you wanna go further then that."

Both of them gawked instantly, Jack nearly spitting the swig of whiskey she'd taken onto Miranda. "What?" Miranda asked with wide blue eyes, body turning rigid.

"I mean, this is all just sexual tension right?" Shepard continued though, amusement openly displayed across her face. "Just look at you two, two powerful biotics, differing opinions, strong personalities..." She trailed off. "Not to mention you both don't leave much to the imagination..." Her pale blue eyes went up both of their bodies.

"You are shitting me." Jack muttered with disbelief.

Miranda's face was burning and she quickly tried to hide her face behind her hands. It was bad enough that EDI actually knew that they'd been intimate together, and that AI was such a blabber mouth, but if Shepard thought this then the others might have a theory or two about the pair just as well. "Shepard!" She gasped, shaking her head furiously.

Selene stared at them for a moment before she burst into laughter. "Holy shit! You two already have haven't you?"

"Fuck off Shepard." Growled Jack, redness filling her cheeks, shoving the woman to the side slightly.

"I can't believe I didn't call it sooner." Shepard kept on however, shaking her head. "All this time, it _was_ sexual tension. When did you two finally hook up?"

"Selene, this is hardly-" Miranda started to defend them, flustered and ruffling up.

"The Reapers could harvest the galaxy and then none of this would matter." Shepard cut her off, waving a hand. "So tell me!" Eagerness filled her face, Selene leaning onto the bar towards them with a wide grin.

"Shepard, I'll punch you so hard you'll have the worst headache ever on top of the hangover you're going to have." Jack snarled out, rippling with biotics.

Holding her hands up, though she was still laughing, Shepard backed away from them. "Alright fine, I know I'm being an ass about it." She chuckled. "But hey," her tone became more serious, "I'm happy that you two are finally over the tension. And there is still a bed open if you wanna have some private fun." With a wink, the Commander strolled out of the study room towards the rest of the party.

Jack and Miranda watched her leave with mixed feelings before they turned back towards the other. "How long do you think we have until Shep tells just about everyone?" Jack asked with a hint of panic. Her entire reputation could have been at stake here.

"She's drunk, it won't take her long at all. Hopefully everyone will think she's just making it up, or forget about it themselves." Miranda said, face still burning red. "Oh we're fucked aren't we?" She asked Jack after a moment of thought, despair across her face.

"Nah, we just have to deny any stupid questions anyone asks. After all, we're not together." Jack said with a bit more control on the situation. "And Shepard makes up some crazy shit when she's drunk, I doubt anyone will believe her."

Miranda stared at her brown eyes. "Do you really want to take that risk? We should figure out just what is going on with us first before we tell anyone anything, assuming Shepard talks that is."

Subject Zero narrowed her eyes at her. "That wasn't all some ploy to get me to talk was it?" She accused Miranda.

"No!" She sharply said. "I'm just as concerned and taken aback as you are Jack." There was a long moment of silence between them. "So what do we tell them?"

"That it's none of their damn business?" Scowled Jack.

They could hear people laughing and dancing in the dining room, Shepard's voice among them. "Jack, if we don't survive this war I don't want to be without answers." Miranda's voice softened, hoping that not approaching the topic in an aggressive manner would get the changed convict to co-operate. "We didn't talk about it on the Normandy because that was where we were. But we haven't seen each other in a long time and I haven't stopped thinking about that night and the following ones before Shepard was arrested and the Normandy grounded." She admitted suddenly.

Jack stared at her before she ducked her head and took another swig of whiskey. "Damn." She muttered, shaking her head.

"I understand if you don't feel the same way Jack, but I need to know. I refuse to be tugged along like some toy you can decide when you want to play with and when you don't." Miranda firmly said.

"Miranda, I just..." Jack trailed off, eyes working down their way from a pale soft face to one of Miranda's prominent assets. "You have fantastic tits." She simply said, the implication of it making Miranda smile.

"And you have a lovely ass." Miranda praised warmly.

"The thing is Miranda, I don't want to have to care for anyone else right now, not with the war going on. What if you go and get yourself killed huh? Cerberus, Reapers, plenty of assholes out there thinking that you should be taken out." She continued far more seriously.

Miranda frowned. "That's on just about everybody's mind too Jack, but if you're too afraid of trying when we might not have anything left after this, then you're never going to have a chance at happiness." She replied. "And since when did you not take risks?"

"Since I started to see when they had more of a chance for failure than a pay off." The tattooed woman said softly, wrapping her fingers around the neck of the whiskey bottle.

"So since you've matured." Concluded Lawson. When Jack gave a loud, gross, burping sound Miranda smirked. "Some anyways."

"It's just, with my kids already I don't really want to add to the list of people that can hurt me if something happens to them." Jack said, ducking her head and averting her eyes.

Miranda could hardly believe it. "Jack, you of all people, are scared?" She gawked.

"Don't go spreading that around will you?" Jack scowled. "I have a rep for being a badass bitch for a reason."

"I know, that's why I fell into bed with you." Smiled Miranda, reaching over and daring to take hold of the other biotic's hand. "You don't have to protect me Jack, I can handle myself. Worry about your students, not me." She assured her, staring intently into milky brown eyes that made her weak in the knees. Jack's lips were pulling lightly into a frown, obviously she was seriously thinking about it. "You pushed me away because you didn't want to get hurt, I understand that. I used to do that a lot too to those I really did care about. And now look at me." She laughed bitterly. "The only real friends I have are Jacob, Shepard, and you."

They stared at each other over the bar for quite a while before Jack smirked. "You really want me to kiss you don't you?" She asked huskily.

"Actually I really want you to do more then that." The black haired beauty bit her lower lip for a moment, leaning in closer towards Jack, eyes dropping hungrily towards a wrapped chest.

"Shepard did offer up a bed..." Jack added, a devilish smile across her face.

"Think we can sneak past everyone upstairs?" Challenged the operative.

"Fuck yeah, they're all drunk off their ass by now anyways." Triumph flashed over the ex-convict, and she firmly intertwined their fingers.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Miranda goaded, stepping around the bar.

Laughing, Jack led the way with their hands clasped towards the stairs, running as fast as they could past anyone that might be looking. They were up in a few moments, passing groups too involved with each other to notice the rushing pair. It almost felt like a dangerous mission for a moment, the thought of getting caught like that, but at the same time Miranda really didn't care. They claimed the first room they could, a bathroom to the side and a queen sized bed in the center, slapping the lock on the door before they spun on each other, lips smashing into the other forcefully.

They had a lot of lost time to make up for.

* * *

**AN: Wow, this is stupidly late. Sorry guys, I'll be better about the next one I promise!**


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

The moment the locking mechanism on the door sounded, Miranda was pounced upon by the tattooed woman, lips smashing forcefully into one another as nearly a year of loneliness came to an end. Instantly Jack's arms had wrapped themselves around Miranda's waist, callused hands working their way down to a nicely shaped rump. Miranda gave a small moan as they deepened the kiss, her fingers embedding themselves in the hair Jack had grown since they'd last met. She rubbed herself against the woman she undeniably cared for, shuddering as Jack ran one hand up her spine.

When they broke the kiss, both of them panting and ready for more, Miranda gave the convict one strong shove on the shoulder to send her stumbling back onto the lush bed Shepard had offered for their use. Jack smiled from one ear to the other, lust clouding brown eyes. The ex-Cerberus operative made a show of removing her catsuit, grasping the zipper and pulling it languidly across her body just at the end of the bed, eyes unwavering from Jack's hungry gaze.

When it was to her midriff, Jack gave a frustrated growl, jumping forward from the head of the bed and taking the zipper in her right hand, yanking it down the rest of the way while she latched her red lips onto Miranda's neck peppering it with fierce kisses. Blue eyes half closing, Miranda lifted her chin and pulled the woman closer to her, muttering under her breath in pleasure.

Her suit was pulled off her heated skin slowly, Jack taking a keen liking to the sound of Miranda's lustful whispers. When she was left in a pair of lacy black underwear, Miranda started to remove the other woman's clothes. The half-jacket was quickly thrown across the room, camouflaged pants and heavy boots tossed to the side of the side of the bed. "Those bandages look pretty sexy on you I must admit." Miranda said with a sultry tone as she slipped her fingers under the ones along Jack's neck. "But I'd like to see you without them."

The colorfully decorated woman looped her arms around Miranda's chest to grasp the small clip keeping her bountiful mounds in place, undoing it in a quick motion while Miranda removed Jack's own last bits of clothes. The white bandages fell in a messy heap on the black cover, one end to another, surprisingly only ten rather long pieces had been on the woman who had expertly wound them around herself.

They shivered on the bed in the apartment's cool air, the sound of the chaotic party pooling in through the crack under the door. A smirk crossed Jack's face as she sat on her knees, the sound of a rather lovely track reaching her ears. Leaning in, Jack placed one slow kiss after another from Miranda's lips down her neck and past her collarbone before settling on the valley between Miranda's breasts. Lawson was taking in short breaths at each touch, quickly growing more and more aroused as Jack cupped each of her boobs a hand each, running her thumbs across hardening tips.

"Seems like somebody missed me," Jack purred with satisfaction as she began to kneed one breast, and licking the other's nipple, the freed hand slinking down to rub against Miranda's burning want.

Miranda gave a soft moan in response, grinding her hips down on Jack's hand, trying rather hard to urge her onward. The ex-convict smiled once again she it looked like the one in charge was going to be her, tongue playing teasingly with Miranda. The blushing woman muttered her annoyance at the teasing, and cupped her lover's smaller chest, making the woman with the ponytail pause for a moment and moan.

Smirking, Lawson kissed Jack once more, and pressed her chest against the woman's. The ex-convict's mind seemed to go blank, and the older woman quickly seized upon it, pushing her to lay on the mattress and planting searing kisses down along her neck. Jack gasped, a hand reaching out grasping the blanket, finding an anchor as the woman above her worked her way down towards her hips. She paused at the tattooed woman's navel, admiring Jack's intricate patterns of ink and toned body, before running her tongue once up the length of her midriff.

Moaning, Jack buried her other hand in Miranda's long black hair, brown eyes closed with desire and head tilted back into the plump pillow. A self-satisfied smirk crossed Miranda's face before she worked her way down to nuzzle between the smaller woman's legs. "Looks like you missed me just as bad," teased Lawson as she ran a finger down along moist lips, Jack's breath hitching at the contact.

"Okay I missed you," huffed Jack as Miranda patiently waited for a response, "now will you fuck me already?"

Chuckling, Lawson flicked her tongue out and hummed in approval of Jack's instant mutterings of pleasure. She ran her tongue up along the woman's folds, soft mutters of approval reaching her ears as the flushed woman's fingers dug their way deeper between black locks. Teasing the woman by instead focusing on her throbbing clit rather then actually entering her, much to Jack's frustration.

"Come on Cheerleader, don't be such a bitch..." Hissed Jack through a haze of lust, her body jerking slightly every so often as the woman between her legs stimulated her.

"Oh but you're so cute when you squirm," smugly chuckled Miranda before she quickly darted her tongue between wet folds, Jack moaning approval. She picked up the pace, taking great pleasure in the sounds of the woman before her. After about a minute she could feel her lover's excitement building higher and higher, Lawson determined to get Jack to come first. She held the woman with the inked skin's legs apart as her tongue dutifully drove the woman mad.

"Faster!" Screamed the brown eyed ex-convict, the fingers she'd buried in the ex-operative's hair having trouble staying in one place, hips moving along to deepen the contact. Miranda eagerly complied, and as the woman laying down on her back's breathing pitched to its height, she pulled out her tongue and quickly replaced it with two fingers before Jack could object. "Come on! Harder!" Demanded the biotic, hips moving against the new contact.

The woman's bossy attitude even when she wasn't the one in charge made Miranda shake her head with amusement, thrusting her fingers as powerfully as she could without fear of hurting her lover. She couldn't deny how much of a turn on it was to watch Jack ride her hand while laying down, the woman having straightened up to lean over the other. With her hand free of Miranda's locks, Jack was grasping the sheets with one and the headboard with another, eyes closed with lust and mouth open in a moan that carried Miranda's name.

"Fuck!" Loudly cried out Jack as she reached her climax, inner muscles stopping Miranda's thrusts, a rush of excitement from her core out wards. Miranda slid her freshly slicked fingers free and cleaned them off one at a time before an attentive pair of brown eyes. "Damn is that hot," remarked Jack between ragged breaths.

"Come here," purred Miranda, one hand extended towards the inked woman. Jack eagerly obeyed, nuzzling against Miranda's chest and peppering kisses all across her body. She smiled as the woman shuddered and moaned, slowly working her way down to Miranda's thighs. After giving her a quick prod to spread her legs, Jack buried her face in moist warmth.

Biting her lip in pleasure, Miranda leaned forward and grasped Jack's shoulders, blue eyes closed tightly. The younger biotic smirked, teasing Lawson just as the woman had done to her, tongue worshiping only part of the woman, Miranda taking in short breaths the longer the torment went on. "Jack...!" She moaned with exasperation. Her body was swelling with pleasure, but it wasn't enough, she needed more. "Don't be such a child..."

Jack stopped entirely, looking up at Miranda with narrowed eyes. "Fuck, just, please?" The black haired woman tried to recover, Jack snorting and slipping her tongue inside Miranda who's hips instantly bucked forward with a loud moan. "Yes!" Jack held her legs spread wide, making the woman feel vulnerable but at the same time safe with the other woman around. Her mind was racing with thoughts and feelings towards Jack until she picked up the pace, chasing any thoughts at all from Miranda's mind. Jack was driving the already stimulated woman higher and higher into bliss the faster she went, tongue flicking this way and that way inside her. Blushing wildly, Miranda's eyes shot open as she felt herself come, pleasure erupting throughout her body.

As she came down from the high, Jack moved up to her lips and claimed them fiercely, hardly allowing Miranda to reclaim her breath. She pushed right back, tongues exploring the other's mouth, hands roaming over familiar yet all new territory, hips grinding together as Miranda found herself sitting on Jack's lap. With a moan Miranda pushed against Jack and the woman was once more on her back. They started rolling back and forth on the wide mattress, shifting who was in command constantly.

Jack pinned Miranda at last beneath her, hands clasped and held to the side, hips grinding against each other. The tattooed woman adjusted herself slightly, and as she moved her lower half towards Miranda, who's hair fell in a tumble around her, she earned another moan from below. A moment later she was rubbing herself against Miranda's slit, the woman going mad with lust and writhing with pleasure. Jack smirked, her hair that at some point been freed from the ponytail sticking to her skin. The sight beneath her was driving her just as crazy as the sensations were, and she quickly kept at it.

Within a few more motions, they were screaming together swears and names and crashing into oblivion. Jack collapsed above her, Miranda grunting softly at the impact as the tired woman rested on her, head rather conveniently on her chest. Lawson rolled to the side, Jack slipping to her right, and place her left arm on heated, inked skin. She stayed there, just simply trying to recover, and Miranda took the moment to admire the beautiful woman besides her.

"Don't say it," warned Jack, brown eyes closed and chest rapidly rising.

"Don't say what?" Miranda frowned, afraid Jack was going to end it just as she'd ended all the last times. Dismissive, closed off, angry sometimes even; Miranda didn't want to deal with that anymore. She was starting to expect the worse as Jack waited to answer, almost as if she were deciding something herself just as well.

Opening one eye, Jack stared intently back at the well-endowed woman. "Don't say it didn't mean anything."

Rolling her eyes Miranda leaned her head forward and placed a tender kiss on Jack's brow. "You really think I want mindless sex before I die?"

"Well you did last time," defended Jack with a faint flush across her skin.

"Last time, I had a stronger belief we'd find a way to survive."

"And this time?"

Miranda paused, looking downwards for a moment, finding Jack's hand and reaching outwards to take it. "This time, not so much," she admitted with a soft tone, "so I want something that means more than physical desires if I'm going to die."

Fingers intertwined, eyes staring at one another firmly. "Then, it did." Jack whispered, shuffling closer towards Miranda. Resting her head against the woman's shoulder, Jack stared up at the ceiling silently, listening to Miranda's soft breathing. They curled up against one another, hands clasped and legs intertwined, Miranda only breaking the touch long enough to pull the blanket out from under them and instead over them.

She wouldn't say it, she just simply couldn't, but she wasn't going to deny anything either. Something about the woman made her mind go blank and her heart race, she'd missed the Cerberus cheerleader every day after they'd gone their separate ways. She'd denied it, lied to herself, come up with a thousand different reasons as to why, but there in her arms she couldn't keep up the facade, but she still couldn't say the words.

Miranda on the other hand, seemed just fine with speaking her mind, and though she didn't look at her Jack felt her skin on fire as if blue eyes were baring into her soul. "I do care for you Jack, a lot."

She smiled faintly. "Yeah, I care for you too," she paused, "now don't go and get your ass turned into some husk abomination alright?"

Laughing, Miranda nodded her head, "So long as you do the same thing, we have a deal."

"You know I'm making out of this shit-storm alive," she boasted, Miranda stealing a glance at her with an amused smirk.

"Then I believe we have ourselves a deal." The woman said, pulling Jack in for another kiss, "Because I want someone to celebrate surviving the war with, and I've got some high standards," Lawson informed Jack who rolled her eyes playfully after she'd pulled back, "I settle for nothing but the best."

Jack snorted, pretending that group of words hadn't just set her heart racing once more in her chest, and kissed Miranda on the collarbone. "Well it doesn't get any better than this Princess."

"I'm sure it doesn't."

* * *

**AN: Real sorry this was almost a month long of a wait for an update, (just shy two days even) but it takes a certain feeling to write a smut chapter for me. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! Perhaps some day there will be more Jackanda from me, but at the moment I have no plans. Thanks for the reviews thus far, but I'd especially love to hear what you think now that it's done! Thanks for reading!**


End file.
